The Right Thing
by Faultystars1357
Summary: Pre-war. Kuzon waited a long time to see Aang, he never got over the boy he once knew.


Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Short story about Kuzon, with a little bit of Bumi.

...

Kuzon waited a long time before he saw his old friend, Bumi. It was the right thing to do. The spirit world was not a lonely place, no, and in fact it was often more joyous than the physical world. Kuzon might not admit it— at least, not to anyone in particular— but he preferred death to life, in most aspects. He supposed there were benefits to both. Still, dying at the ripe old age of twenty-four had never really been part of the plan. The plan being to live long, lovingly marry, and woelessly die. But then, at the age of twelve, the plan had dramatically changed.

When Liu Kuzon was twelve years old, his entire life had been changed by a series of events no one but the Avatar himself could have prevented, and yet failed to do so. Kuzon's friend, Aang, had been killed by Kuzon's very own country because it was said by Firelord Sozin that the Air Nomads held no benefit to society as a whole, and decided to eradicate them from the Physical World. At the age of twelve, Kuzon would lie there in bed, thinking about the charred and burned body of his friend. Their friend Bumi, who was an Earthbender in every right, had argued and screamed at Kuzon when they found out about what happened.

Kuzon had been visiting Bumi, and they were waiting to eventually return to Kuzon's family summer home with Aang, but after the Comet Festival that happened in the Fire Nation, both boys were suddenly pulled into a room in Bumi's parents household and told of what happened, only days later. They stood there, both of them, for a very long time as they thought about what it meant— an entire Nation, and entire people, a culture, a religion, a family… had been killed. Their friend along with them. While most adults did not believe children could contemplate heavily on their emotions, both twelve year old boys realized that they would never see Aang again. That they would never see him grow older, or get a girlfriend, or come visit them in the summer home, or ride in the mail system in Omashu ever again. Aang would never grow older to have his own child that, albeit he never would have known, but would still have had, and loved the thought of all the same.

So Bumi screamed and hollered at Kuzon. But the young Firebender knew that his friend was only sad, and that he really did not blame Kuzon at all for Aang's death. It was Sozin and his Army. There was no fault in the children. After his screaming, Bumi began to cry and then both boys sat there crying, holding each other as they realized, again, that their friend was dead— and no one would ever care.

Bumi's parents allowed the boy to stay, mostly because they themselves did not blame him but also because they could not bear to return him to a country full of hate. It was when the letter came, a week later, that Kuzon was asked to return to the Fire Nation. Kuzon had wanted to run away and stay in the Earth Kingdom with Bumi and his parents. But it could not be, and somehow both boys knew it. So Kuzon returned to the Fire Nation only a few weeks after the Air Nomad Genocide, which would mark the beginning of a new era. Campaigns and speeches reached all over the Nation of Islands. But to Kuzon the words of hatred, of power, of anger, meant nothing to him. Knowing Aang and Bumi had humanized their nations to him, and he felt no more anger to them than he did to the sky or the trees. It was a sad day, Kuzon knew, when he realized his own parents had fallen for Sozin's plan of triumph. They believed it was the right thing.

They elder Liu's berated and teased Kuzon about his old friends. How, really, why had they let him come over? Why had they them? Aang had always appeared so nice, and how absolutely devastating it was when they learned that he had always hated their Nation. And, of course, why could one hate a Nation so grand and so lavish? When that one themself had opted to live a life void of any material items, of letting go, and of simple things? Who were they to complain?

Kuzon tolerated many of his parents boasts, but it was one day, four years after the war had begun and two years since he had seen Bumi, that the boy snapped.

"They deserved to die."

And so, at the age of sixteen, Kuzon wandered the Fire Nation His Fire Bending training was practically completed, and he was already higher in Bending than most having gone to a lavish, private, bending academy. He tried many times to get a ship to go to the Earth Kingdom, to find Bumi, but hardly anyone could spare money for him, and his family name would do him no good if someone figured out why or even if he was heading to the enemy's side. So he traveled, mostly on coastal regions, doing odd jobs and living in a Nation he despised.

When he was eighteen years old, Kuzon was drafted into the Army. He returned to his parents and apologized and his parents hugs and tears meant nothing to him any longer. So Kuzon left, a small change in a military full of hate.

At twenty years old Kuzon was once again in the Earth Kingdom, though not for the reason he wanted to be. Several times, desertion came like a sunny day in a cloudy month, but his previous loyalties, those of Bumi and Aang, had come to light due to a boy Kuzon had gone to school with, who had rattled off that, in their younger days, Kuzon had been friends with an Air Nomad— the word was like poison on their tongues— and an Earth Citizen. He was often to closely guarded that any movement he made felt like the Avatar was watching him, waiting to make a move before he could strike down in his hardest possible way.

Two more years and at twenty-two, Kuzon was in the personal Army of Firelord Sozin, his abilities in Bending making him highly qualified. His days in the Earth Kingdom were unknowingly numbered at the time, but he still had two more years until his time would come. Bumi had not made a single word of contact, and any mention of the Air Nomads, intentional or not, despising or not, made Kuzon angry.

It was often at times that he would remember the twelve year old boy had never was given the chance to grow old. Who would never get the chance to see his family again… to see Kuzon, or Bumi, or Gyatso. And it made Kuzon angry, because of the little boy who would never turn twenty-three with Liu Kuzon.

While in a small village by a river, the legion of men Kuzon belonged to was suddenly attacked. Kuzon did his best, of course, to not kill, for his friend, but there had been times when his fire had been too hot, or his bending had been too rough. But Kuzon plunged through, and in the heat of the battle, he found himself facing a man that looked far too familiar. And it seemed that the man recognized him too, because the Earthbender lowered his rock and stared at Kuzon with wide, green eyes.

"Kuzon."

"Bumi."

"You're fighting for them, Kuzon," Bumi inquired, furrowing his brow.

"It's not what it looks like," Kuzon insisted, lowering his hands from his fighting stance. "I was drafted."

"You could've ran," Bumi countered. Kuzon knew that Bumi wasn't really angry at him. They both knew he couldn't have ran but perhaps Bumi was really angry with him; he had been friends with Aang for much longer than Kuzon had when they met. He'd been closer, but Aang had always treated them both equally, like he'd known Kuzon for just as long as he known Bumi and perhaps that was part of where Bumi's anger stemmed from. But they were twenty-two years old now, Bumi should have let go. Either way, there was no proof that this reason was why Bumi was angry. But he had always been very passionate. Aang had died ten years ago. It was done. It was past.

"I could have, but I needed to see you," Kuzon murmured, for some reason, under his breath. Kuzon just shook his head in resignation. He knew Bumi wouldn't believe him. Their friendship was gone now. Bumi was holding him at fighting stance, ready to slam Kuzon to the ground in a swift, single movement. But Bumi was angry, and Kuzon knew that one day he would no longer be and they could possibly rekindle that friendship when this war was over and the Fire Nation was defeated.

It took two seconds for Bumi to lash out, his hand snapping forward to punch Kuzon in the face, though he really only struck the helmet. "I can't believe you!" he yelled, and punched again.

"Bumi, please!"

And then a small boulder struck the side of Kuzon's face, knocking off his helmet. The man fell to the side, rolling down the dirt road and out of the battle. He heard a smack as Bumi landed next to him. Kuzon could feel the blood run down his face. Slowly he began to get up, but Bumi stomped his foot on the ground with an angry yell, "Your nation killed him! They killed all of them like they were animals!"

"Bumi, I—."

Another launch into the air. Kuzon was spitting blood now.

"He could have grown up! But now he's dead!"

Another kick in the stomach and Kuzon was smacked against a tree. He could hear the fire blasts in the distance. A call to retreat. Shouting.

"A little boy is dead because of the arrogance of your Nation," Bumi accused.

"I'm sorry." It must've been Kuzon's fault. Why hadn't he noticed the propaganda? Why not the angry looks people gave Aang when they walked the streets together? Why didn't Kuzon try to be a better friend and warn the boy of his death?

Why didn't he do the right thing?

"You should be," Bumi hissed, and struck Kuzon's side with a large rock. But Kuzon had done nothing to move from it and he felt the rock pierce his armor and side. Through his half-closed eyes he saw Bumi fall on the ground, crying. His hands lay open, palms up toward the sky, as he stared at what he had done.

"I'm sorry," he cries. "I'm so sorry!"

Kuzon's eyes are still half open when he feels the rock slid from his side and he felt Bumi's strong arms pull him up. He felt them moving for a long time and Kuzon was never really sure if he was awake or asleep or if the changing scenery was just a part of his dream. Several times, out of the corner of his eye, Kuzon saw Aang playing with Appa in the distance, smiling and laughing and jumping on his glider to fly. He smiled a lot those times. Other times, Kuzon saw burned villages and blackened bodies filled into mass graves, with the men of the army believing they had done the right thing. The right thing. The right thing.

One day, or hour, or minute, or second, and Kuzon was lying down on a bed, with a young Earth Kingdom Citizen girl over him. She was batting his head with a wet towel and when she noticed his Amber eyes had opened, she jumped up with a yell.

"He's awake!" she hollered.

Kuzon heard several pairs of feet running in what seemed to be a hospital and he lifted his head just slightly to see men in Earth Kingdom Army Uniform's holding their fists up at him in fighting stances.

"I… please," he whispered, shaking his head as much as he could.

"He's Fire Nation, be careful around him," a soldier said.

There was an old women walking up behind the soldiers. She parted them effortlessly and stalked up to his crudely made bed.

She began speaking in a broad northern Earth Kingdom dialect, saying something quickly that Kuzon didn't quite understand. She turned to him with a frown on her face as she stared at his wounds.

"A man came here and told us to care for you. I don't know why. But he was from Omashu. I find it somehow odd to believe that he does not owe you some kind of debt. So speak up, before we stick outside to the dogs, you Fire Nation scum," she spat.

"We… we were friends," Kuzon said. "Before the war began. We were best friends."

"I see," the woman said, her voice considerably softer. "He saved you in battle."

Kuzon laid his head back down on the pillow, staring up warily at the ceiling. "From himself." And those were the last words he spoke for a very long time.

Kuzon recovered in the Earth Kingdom hospital for soldiers, eventually leaving with the women to go live with her in a nearby village, locked away. He was most likely believed dead by his comrades in the Fire Nation military, but he didn't care. For two years he sat in this woman's house, never fully healing, never fully hearing.

It was two years before Kuzon finally made it outside the small hut he lived in. He never saw Bumi again, and maybe he was dead, Kuzon cared enough to ask the woman what had become of the soldier who'd brought him in.

"I don't know. All I know is thay he was from Omashu. He insisted we care for you and then left, paid us with gold and that was all I ever heard of him," she replied nonchalantly.

"Thank you," he answered, truthfully, and never asked again.

When Kuzon walked outside the hut he looked around and saw across from the hut a large hill and in the distance he could see a road, which led to a city. He could not see the city but Kuzon knew it was there. He pointed to the woman who had followed him out.

"There," he inquired.

"There what?" she reputed.

"I want to be buried there," he answered.

And that night he was lying in bed, staring up at the ceiling.

It was hot and humid and the hut smelled like lavender.

"I am coming, Aang, my friend."

The next day, a grave was buried and the a stone was painted with his name and his rank. On it was the Fire Nation symbol and a small Earth Kingdom.

Liu Kuzon

Private

"Silence is a true friend who never betrays"

"He did not say much," the woman said as she put on the dirt. "But then, I suppose, neither did his friend.

Kuzon awoke in a green world, dressed in his clothes that he had died in. When he realized where he was, he rejoiced, and began his search. Time was nothing in the Spirit World, and the Spirit world knew only passage of time by the spirits it held and the dead it grabbed. So Kuzon went on many years, to him as people died and passed away and came to the world of no more death. But pain was there, because Kuzon still had not found Aang, or Bumi. And he searched and searched until one day he came across a small group of Air Nomad children. When they caught sight of him, and Fire Nation soldier, they screamed and sobbed and ran to the monks they had died with.

And of all the monks that came there stood Monk Gyatso, not changed at all. He stared at Kuzon before the recognition set in and he smiled.

"The Liu boy, correct?"

"My name is Kuzon, I was a great friend of Aang's."

At the sound of the boys' name, Gyatso's face hardened.

Kuzon frowned. "What? What's wrong?"

"Aang… he ran away the night we. Well, I suppose you do not know."

Kuzon slowly shook his head. Had Aang survived? Was he not here?

"Aang was the Avatar, Liu Kuzon. We told him before he became sixteen, because the monks began to think there was danger in the world that would soon need the Avatar's attention. We told him four years too early and… I suppose he overheard us saying he would be sent to the Eastern Air Temple for further instruction. He ran away several nights before the Fire Nation attacked," Gyatso explained, shaking his head. "I thought perhaps he had survived, but you have corrected me in this view."

"So he… he isn't dead?"

"I do not know, Liu Kuzon," Gyatso replied, troubled. "Perhaps the Avatar State saved him, or perhaps he was killed in it. But Aang did the right thing. He ran away… or else he would have died, and there would be no one. We will find out, soon, what happened. Time will pass, and we will wait."

Kuzon and Gyatso did a lot of waiting. Many years passed in the Spirit World and still no sign of Aang. Kuzon was not sure how long it had been since he had died, but he did not care much. It was not until he had grown tired of waiting that he began to wonder. Kuzon entered a large forest in the Spirt World, wondering around until he came across a newly formed spirit of a human. The man was old, with wild wiry hair and crazy eyes. They stared at each other for a long time.

"Kuzon."

Kuzon's eyes widened. "Bumi."

They embraced.

"You are old!" Kuzon exclaimed, laughing. It had been a very long time since he had laughed.

"And you are young," the old man replied, as they walked back to the Air Nomads. Bumi grew somber and he stopped to stare at Kuzon, a twenty-four year old man. "I killed you, my friend."

"Don't be ridiculous," Kuzon replied, although he agreed whole-heartedly. "I let myself die."

Bumi grasped Kuzon by the shoulders, leaning over him. "No, you silly young fool. It is I who was angry over Aang's death… or, rather, disappearance. I was the one who killed one of my greatest friends. I regretted that for the rest of my life. I, Crazy Old King Bumi! I killed Liu Kuzon! Hahaha!" Bumi laughed then, shaking his shoulders.

"You, a king?" Kuzon murmured.

"You don't think I would have let Omashu fall into Fire Nation hands, do you?" the old man asked.

They continued walking back. Kuzon told Bumi about the Air Nomads being here, and how Aang was never with them. "We presumed he lived but… you're over a hundred years old…"

Bumi smiled at him, his eyes telling Kuzon he had something up his sleeve.

"Gyatso, this is Bumi, from Omashu."

"Ah, yes, I remember you," the monk replied, smiling. "You quite enjoyed my Fruit Pies."

"Hahaha!" Bumi laughed. "I could go for one of those, but I have news about Aang."

So he told them everything. Aang had been frozen in an Iceberg for one hundred years, stuck physically and mentally at twelve years old. He befriended two Water Tribe children and traveled around the world, helping people and learning bending. He came to Omashu and he met his old friend again. Bumi told them how Aang had helped many people and how he ended the Hundred Year War and took Ozai's (the new Fire Lord) bending away.

"He is friends with the new Fire Lord now, Zuko, Ozai's son. Apparently the boy changed his habits a bit and learned to… help Aang."

"Still twelve years old, eh?" Kuzon muttered, staring at Bumi.

"His whole life ahead of him," Bumi replied, smiling but with solemn eyes. "Katara… the Water Tribe girl. She taught him Water Bending. I think he likes her, hahaha! Well, yes, she told me that sometimes… sometimes Aang will tell her something that, to her, happened a hundred years ago, but to him it was only a year ago. He returned to the Air Temples, once, right after he unfroze… he saw everything. I've never been but… nothing was ever… no, no one thought to clean them."

Gyatso closed his eyes and mumbled incoherently under his breath, shaking his head. Kuzon let out a shaky breath.

"That poor boy…" he muttered.

"He will do well," Bumi said. "I can feel it."

"He'll do the right thing," Kuzon said, smiling.

Yes, Aang… Aang would do the right thing, always.

Fin.


End file.
